Invisible
by Mandaius Meander
Summary: When Will finally manages to travel through the worlds, he realises Lyra is about to make a huge mistake. Will he be able to stop her in time, or is it too late?
1. Nearly There

A/N- First of all, disclaimer- (Puts hand on heart) "I do not, nor will, ever own his dark materials trilogy, or any books associated with it i.e.-Lyra's Oxford. (sob) but, I do own the characters and places you don't recognize, oh, and the plot" OK, so now I can say hi! Thanks for taking a peek at my ff, this is my first fan fiction, and I know, pathetic, but we only get to use this excuse once, right? I would also like to point out that this is set 4 ½ years after TAS, so, without further ado, I give you…

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Nearly There

Will was, once again sat in a secluded spot in Botanical Garden, trying to focus on Lyra's Oxford, what it looked like smelt like and felt like. Which, he reflected, would be a lot easier if he had actually been there.

Sat alert next to him was his dæmon, Kirjava, half thinking about what Will was doing, and half keeping an eye out for other people that were likely to trespass on their sanctuary, Will loved her and didn't know what he'd do without her, she always watched out for him, and never left his side.

Will had taken what the angel Xaphania had said to heart. He had been learning determinedly how to travel through the worlds like the angels could. Xaphania had said that it would take a lifetime to learn, but Will had always been a quick study. So now at the age of seventeen, he was nearly ready to try and travel between his world and Lyra's.

He had also taken into account what the angel had said about the other work he had to do, so he had concentrated at school. It had become a lot easier since his mother was being properly looked after by Doctor Malone, and it also helped that the strange men weren't lurking about any more, meaning his mother could begin to recover, and she was getting better quickly.

In the short space of 4 ½ years he had grown to be quite handsome, his features more defined, and he wasn't an outcast any more. He wasn't the most popular person in school either, but at least he had some friends now, even if they weren't that close, and even some girls had shown an interest in him, but try as he might, he couldn't put Lyra out of his mind

He knew that he was being unfair to the other girls, and to himself, and that he'd promised Lyra that he would move on, but every day seemed like a lifetime without her.

It was early summer, and the evenings were getting longer, so when the sun started to dip behind the horizon, and the shadows of the trees started to lengthen, Kirjava decided that it was time to go home.

She got up and stretched, sticking out her tail, sauntered over to Will, and butted him in the side with her head.

"Time to go, Will" She said

Will sighed, his shoulders drooping, and he opened his eyes. "I s'pose your right." he said, while getting stiffly up off the hard ground.

They slowly started to wander back home, to the new house that they (Will's Mother included) had bought with Mary Malone, when he said;

"I was almost there this time, Kirjava. I could almost feel it.

"Almost…"She replied as they exited Botanical Garden, and started off home.

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A/N-So, the first chapter of my first ff. Please tell me what you think, should I continue writing it? Or not? Constructive criticism is good, but please don't say "its rubbish, no plot line…" or "its clichéd, and unoriginal" or anything like that without a reason, alright? 

Thanks, your most humble author, Mandaius Meander


	2. An Upcoming Event

A/N-Ok, here is chapter two! Whoop! I'm sorry it took so long to update, but I'm very critical about what I write. It also didn't help that I had to go to the Czech Republic, but I'm back now, which means I can write more! I'd like to thank my reviewers so far, which made me actually want to carry on writing this, Miss Sparky, SophiMalfoy, chinesefireball88, pippi long stockings 101, simone93, Mrs. Radcliffe 13, Kates Master's Sister, charliecharlie and Anime Freak Girl. So without further ado, I give you…

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An Upcoming Event

'Right, one, two and three'

'Or is it left one, two, and three…'

These were the rather muddled thoughts running around Lyra's head as she sat in the carriage taking her to yet _another_ ball that the older girls from St Sophia's attended, Lyra being one of them.

The girls had just been taught a new dance, which they had hardly had time to learn, before being whisked off to perform it _perfectly _in front of a nearly packed room, and Lyra was desperately trying to remember it. She was sharing the carriage with five other girls, and because they were all older pupils from the school, there were no teachers sitting with them. All of the teachers had to sit in the carriages with the younger students, as they knew all too well what would happen if they left the young students alone when they were excited about a ball.

Balls of this type, the girls were told, were there 'Purposefully to let well educated ladies meet well educated gentlemen, and make well educated couples', but Lyra really didn't care about meeting anyone.

She sat absentmindedly stroking Pantalaimon, who was draped across her lap, as she stared out of the window.

Her hair, which had grown quite long, was swept into a loose do on top of her head, held there with a clip littered with gems, and around her neck she wore a jewel encrusted choker.

She was clothed in a dark blue dress, with pure white lace petticoats underneath her skirts which only showed when she walked, or danced. The bodice of the dress was fitted, but not too tight, and the gauze veil that was woven about her arms gave her garment a sense of mystery.

Lyra often zoned out, and stared at something that no one else could see, while the other girls happily chatted around her about who they were hoping to see there, and who they were hoping to dance with. Lyra found this kind of talk amusing for about two minutes before it became tedious.

She could not talk about who was most handsome, or who she would like to kiss the most, _or _who she would like to marry, for the answer was always Will. She could not talk about him in front of the rest of the brainless girls, or anybody for that matter, as it was too painful, and ladies of her class were only supposed to have kissed their fiancé, the love of their life. Since Will was not her husband to be, and since he didn't even _exist_ in Lyra's Oxford, she would be frowned upon, and said to be slightly out of her mind.

Shortly after she had come back to Oxford, from being with Will, she realised that life would never be the same again. It all seemed to be in black and white, and odourless, where every one was happy, and nothing was wrong.

The carriage came to a stop, and the girl next to her, who also happened to be her roommate at St Sophias, named Katherine, pulled her out of the carriage, while her dæmon, a little Yorkshire terrier, trotted by her feet.

"Another chance to dance the night away with prince charming, hmm, Lyra?" She said, throwing a glance over her shoulder at Lyra.

"_I _would rather have stayed at school with my alethiometer" Lyra grumbled, but followed the milling party guests into the building all the same.

"Oh that old compass? No you wouldn't" She twittered, as Lyra glared at her, and they both ascended into the grand doorway that lay ahead of them, Kitty having a one sided conversation, while Lyra walked mutely ahead.

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A/N-There you go! A mini not-too-exciting-what's-going-to-happen-next cliff hanger! What did you think? Rubbish or good? Remember I like constructive criticism, but no flames, please, ok? Thanks, your most humble author,

Mandaius Meander.


	3. Wandering minds

A/N-So, chapter 3! Whooo! Thanks to all of the people that reviewed the last chapter; Kates Master's Sister, Mrs. Radcliffe 13, Starskysea, hanjuuluver, the answer is 42, Psychoanalysis, and Charles .m. woz ere, who I didn't mention in Chapter 1, so again I present to you…

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Wandering Minds

As Lyra entered the hall she gasped. All the couples were dresses like royalty, all dancing the same dance, the steps perfected and synchronized, but that wasn't what had impressed Lyra. Nearly every surface in the hall glittered. The marble floor that held the dancing couples was so shiny it looked as though she were walking on a huge looking glass, her heels clicking on the burnished floor. The majestic columns were also made of marble, but were inlayed with golden rivets, the carving intricate, and obviously the work of a master stonemason. They were nearly as thick as the wheel pod trees where the mulefa lived, and they reached up to the ceiling, where there was one of the most fantastic fresco's Lyra had ever seen. It depicted everything, from the kingdom of heaven, to what people thought angels looked like (though Lyra knew better) to the armoured bears of the north and the Witches.

Lyra stood there, in one of the two lines the girls had made agape as she took in the beauty and sheer splendour of the place.

Dame Hannah walked down the middle, and uttered as she passed her, "We're not catching flies Lyra, Thank you." At which Lyra's mouth snapped firmly shut and she pulled a face of dislike at Dame Hannah's retreating back.

"Welcome, girls to Cardinals!" Dame Hannah said, "I trust you shall be on your best behaviour, and will meet some other well cultured people."

"What she means," Kitty whispered to Lyra, "is that she wants us to meet some well cultured young men, and make well cultured couples."

Lyra had to laugh as the girls separated themselves amongst the other people in the hall, intermingling with the highest of high society, or as Lyra liked to think, the fakest part of society there was…

* * *

Will, meanwhile, was up in his room, trying to focus on his homework. He had to do well in this test to be able to get into Oxford University. That, and pass the Oxbridge exam, but he still had two years until then.

Try as he might, he couldn't concentrate, his mind kept on wandering off to an elegant dance hall, filled with majestic couples twirling and swirling. He figured that this was his minds way of mocking him.

Abandoning his homework, he got up and began to pace the room, and let his mind wander to the problem he could never solve. He needed to get through, needed to find a way between his world and Lyra's. But How? Maybe he wasn't close enough, but Lyra had said that there was a Botanical garden in Her Oxford as well, hadn't she?

'What if she was lying' a nasty voice said in the back of his mind, 'What if she just said that to make it easier for you to leave her'

"Then" said Will out loud, arguing with this unwelcome intruder in his mind, "She must have cared about me to make up a lie like that, just to make me feel better."

The voice didn't reply.

Kirjava sat on his bed, and lazily watched Will's progress, from the door to the window, and back again.

After five more minutes of this pacing, she decided to speak. "You know Will," she said, "Lyra wouldn't want you to dwell on the past, you should move on…" but her voice failed her under Wills' steely gaze.

"I know Kirjava, but, it's hard, and when Xaphania talked about one of my, sorry, our friends already being able to do it or something like that, I…It just gave me hope. That's all, and god knows we need some." He said as he sat down on the edge of his bed.

"I know what you mean Will," she said soothingly, as if talking to a small child likely to throw a temper tantrum "I hate this, this compromise, I want to be with Pan, I care about him, nearly as strongly as you do about Lyra." Her voice filled with compassion, and she became determined "I'll tell you what. We'll try again in the morning, but there's no use fretting about it now."

"This time we'll get through though." Replied Will, his jaw set, and his mind made up as he crawled into bed.

"I'll need lots of rest…" he mumbled as his eyes slipped shut, and he drifted into an uneasy sleep, filled with beautiful girls wearing dark blue dresses with pure white lace petticoats.

Just before Kirjava closed her eyes, she looked at the clock. 10:00….

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A/N- O.K- If any of you have Lyra's Oxford, Cardinals is actually a place, look on the map for it, and if not-shame on you! And just in case you don't know what a fresco is, it's a big painting on the ceiling of a hall or room. Reviews make my day; I didn't get too many for the last chapter so I tried hard with this one, please review, as always constructive criticism is appreciated, but no flames….

Thanks, your most humble author,

Mandaius Meander.

Oh BTW- did any of you notice who the girl was in Will's dream?


	4. Dream A Little Dream of Me

OK, so just before you all throw flames at me, I do have a chapter to upload! I haven't abandoned you! And I know, I have uploaded since 05-03-06, and I have become what annoys me the most, an author that doesn't update, and I could reel off a whole list of excuses, but what's the point? It will just be more time for you to waste reading them, so I will just say this-

I haven't uploaded anything lately, and I'm sorry, but I have made this chapter longer. I think.

Dream a Little Dream of Me

It was 9:00 and the party was in full swing, couples laughing, couples dancing, in fact there were couples everywhere. Lyra, of course stood to one side, watching all of her so called 'friends' have a good time. She sometimes wished that she could be free like them, and not have such a past, such a secret hanging over her. But then, when her mind wandered down this path of thought, she would always realise, that to be carefree she would not be able to remember. Will. He was the constant in her otherwise revolving world. Always there, in her head. Sometimes right at the front of her mind, making her zone out, and float away into one of her memories of him, sometimes lurking at the back, but always there, day and night.

She sighed and walked over to one of the huge French windows, looking out into the gardens that surrounded the hall. Neatly trimmed hedges ran around the inside of the walls, framing lawns and fountains. It seemed where ever she went she was always hemmed in, by rules, by walls (no matter how magnificent those walls were) and most importantly by the society she was surrounded by, the one thing she hated more than all the others.

If she were to let slip to half of the people in here, what she had done, how she had changed their lives, their world, even if she just told her class mates, she would be shunned. Whispers and rumours would follow her everywhere, and she would never be able to 'settle down'. Not that this worried her, but Lyra felt alone when she was surrounded by people, and had no Idea how she would feel if she was totally completely, truly alone in the world.

She wandered slowly around the hall, weaving in and out of people. A tactic she had learned from being at these type of gatherings, if she was moving, and looked like she was heading somewhere she wouldn't be asked to dance.

Suddenly the far doors opened and in walked a set of handsomely dressed men, with neckerchiefs and top hats tucked under their arms. They walked in two rows, much like the girls at St Sophia's had, but there were less of them. At the head of them walked an elderly man, quite a bit shorter than the young men he lead, but his profile, and how he held himself oozed importance. He came to a halt, the men behind him stopping as he did, as if they had rehearsed it until perfect. The whole congregation of the hall stopped to look at the newcomers, even the orchestra stopped as people stopped dancing to stare. Lyra, of course took one look at the pompous idiots, and sighed, in rather an unladylike fashion. What had the world come to, when men had to dress up to look important? Shouldn't it come naturally?

"Ladies and gentlemen," the small man boomed, surprising most people, but they kept their faces indifferent. "I beg you all to forgive us, but we had a bit of bother with the coaches. The horses seemed to want to have an early night!" He finished, inclining his head, his hands clasped behind his back. People began to laugh politely at his witty comment as the orchestra struck up a lively tune and the dancing once again resumed.

The young men than bowed to their mentor and began o scatter themselves throughout the room. Whispers following one such young man in particular.

"Oh I hear he has just returned from travelling the world with his family…"

"Yes, young Mr. Scott, I hear his family have come into a great deal of money lately…"

Lyra heard snippets of people's conversation as she slowed to a stop. 'Yet another one of the idiots with more money than they know what to do with, or parents with too much money to spare.' Thought Lyra.

Realising that she had stopped, Lyra started moving again, in case one of the incredibly boring men decided to try and talk to her, and she had to pretend to be interested.

Pan curled himself around her shoulders, feeling her regret and unease, tickling her skin with his fur.

"Don't worry Lyra, things are bound to get better"

Lyra, lost in her own thoughts looked her dæmon as if he were mad. "How can they? Unless we decide to run away. We are stuck here being polite to pompous idiots, pretending to be interested in their sad little lives, and their boring jobs at boring offices. I didn't hear anything about being forced to boring balls when we were to first join St Sophias, and for a few wonderful years we wondered where the older girls went, thinking that maybe they went somewhere interesting!" she snorted, attracting the attention of an elderly couple nearby, who gave her disgruntled looks, the lady's dæmon, an owl, puffing up its feathers so much it resembled a ball of fluff much more than an owl.

Lyra sighed. Gave Pan a what-am-I-supposed-to-do? Kind of look and moved on.

Will was surrounded by colour. Everywhere he looked there were Smart men in Tuxes, dancing with beautiful girls in every colour dresses he could imagine and even some colours he couldn't.

He wandered around the edge of the hall alone, not knowing the complicated dance moves the couples were dancing. Moving together as one, but each couple dancing separately as well. It all looked quite fake to him anyway.

He had first appeared in the glittering ball room when a pack of gentlemen had. He hadn't entered with them; he had just kind of appeared. It was all so confusing that he didn't know what to think. He just kept on moving looking away from all of the hopeful glances he gathered from several nervous girls, all wishing for a dance partner.

He glanced up from watching the floor, and noticed a girl at the other side of the room doing exactly as he was, but she looked much more at ease, like she always did the same thing at all the gatherings that she went to. He wondered why she came at all.

She was pretty, no beautiful, graceful, and yet had a spark that drew him to her, like she wasn't entirely what she seemed. He wished that she would just turn around, even for a moment, so that he could see her face, but instead she began to talk to her dæmon.

Will was confused. A dæmon? How could he, but he could not have travelled to Lyra's Oxford? Could he? Had four years finally paid off?

Lyra was disturbed from her scattered thoughts by a tap on her shoulder.

A/N-Ok, I know, I know, I've left you a cliffy, aren't I evil, but you see If I leave a Cliff hanger It makes me want to write more! HA! I am clever! Lol. Anyway, because I haven't updated in ages this isn't as beta read as it normally is, but It is longer! If I have done anything drastically wrong, please let me know, but apart from that no flames please, and as always constructive criticism is good! Thanks to all those people who reviewed chapter 3, Miss Sparky, Mrs. Radcliffe 13, Psychoanalysis, hanjuuluver, Starskysea, general observation board, Sam, DaPenguin, NCDSbookworm, Siriel the treelady, Jen, nina-san, xinsanitypersonifiedx and toph-the-seeing-blind. I haven't been replying lately, I'm sorry and for all of those who stayed with me I love you!

Your most humble Author,

MandaiusMeander


	5. Unexpected Occurrences

A/N: Hello! I know, I know, ts been nearly a year, and I'm sorry, I'll have a 'must try harder' on my report. I've been really busy during the time away from I've done my GCSE's and I'll be getting my results on the 24th of August, but the coursework nearly killed me! I can't help it if I'm a perfectionist, and if theres a tiny thing wrong it gets binned, can I? XP

See you at the bottom, this chapter is longer than its predecesors, and I hope you enjoy...

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Unexpected Occurrences

Lyra turned around, her breath catching in her throat as she locked eyes with penetrating pools of green, but the moment soon passed as she became alarmingly aware of the excessive amount of eyes focused on her. She blushed, and not forgetting her manners, curtsied as Pan wound himself around her feet, trying to hide under her dress as he expressed her discomfort. In reply to her curtsy, the nameless gentleman swept into a very graceful and well rehearsed bow, his magpie daemon bobbing on his shoulder as it changed its footing to avoid falling from its perch. The Young man cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with the amount of attention they were gathering, his daemon fluffing its feathers on his shoulder, so gently taking her arm, in a practised move he swept her away from their 'centre stage' spot and towards the buffet table, serving her a glass of punch from the crystallised looking bowl.

Lyra, who had only just regained her composure shook her head slightly, sending her earrings jangling. She shared a look with pan, and risked a glance at the debonair young man from underneath her eyelashes. He handed her a glass of punch, and she thanked him, unsure of the type of conduct a situation like this called for. So, opting for the simple approach, she chose to stare into the depths of her glass as if she might find a miraculous answer as to what just happened, and what she should do now. Or in fact how she should address the young man in front of her.

Said young man stood peering at her expectantly over the top of his glass, as he raised it to take a swig of punch, as if waiting for her to confirm that she was alright, and of sound mind. He seemed to contemplate something for a while, and the blanket of silence that had draped over them became uncomfortable as the song, that couples had been dancing to moments before, came to an end.  
He drained his glass, and, seeing Lyra throw a curious glance in his direction, said, "I apologise greatly for interrupting you, and coming over unintroduced, it was incredibly bad mannered of me" Lyra looked up at him fully now, a quizzical expression gracing her features, as her brows drew together.  
"And what exactly was I doing, that you could interrupt?" she enquired as politely as she could. She briefly wondered if she had been doing something without realising it, perhaps something mortifying that would shame Dame Hannah and the girls at the college. As quickly as the thought crossed her mind, she found herself thinking that she didn't really care about her fellow classmates reputations, they were the sort of girls who often asked for trouble to bother them now and again.

The young man drew a breath, and with an amused expression, replied, "Indeed, it looked to me, and untrained individual of course, that you were on a very important endeavour," He paused for dramatic effect. "You see, I can tell when a woman is trying to look too busy to dance." Lyra smiled as he continued, "I don't see how that is possible tonight though, with all of these dashing young bachelors around..." he trailed off as a small balding man strolled passed, obviously trying to get the attention of a beautiful young woman ahead of him, his damp forehead and wheezy breathing did nothing to aid his physical appearance, and made him have what was altogether a very unattractive look.

Lyra laughed amiably at the look on her companions face, "Now why would you get that idea?" she asked, "What if you, Sir, interrupted me from a very important task that I felt I needed to be carried out at present?" Lyra smiled at his expression, which clearly showed how taken aback he was that a woman would answer him back.

However, he took it in his stride, and quickly recovered as he responded humbly, "Well then, I find myself mistaken then, but," he said as he leaned towards her, "Why then are you stood here, talking to me instead of carrying on with your task?" his hearty expression spoke volumes and Lyra found herself getting rather annoyed that he presumed that he could read her so well. He continued, "I would also like to enquire, if you are, as you say, not trying to avoid dance partners like the plague, why your dance card is not full," he glanced down and brought her card up to his face, "when surely, if you were up to dancing your card would be the fullest in the room..." His eyes flicked up to meet hers, a cheeky look on his face.  
Lyra blushed, and at his compliment, found her self resolve to stay angry at him wavering and her exasperation diminishing. Looking up into his face for the first time since they met she realised how handsome his features were, his straight roman nose, clearly defined cheekbones, and dark green eyes, framed by his eyebrows. He was clean shaven, and smelt of aftershave and cologne, and his brown hair was brushed and slicked back in a most fashionable way, but it seemed to be straining against the wax holding it in place, as tendrils of hair had escaped, and fell into his eyes, framing his face his face and giving him a slightly impish look. He stood half a head taller than her, but had a presence, that she couldn't quite put her finger on, he seemed important, and had the kind of aura that would make people stop and listen to him, while still seeming approachable.  
He wore a handsomely tailored suit, which had hues of green woven into the black material, obviously meant to highlight his eyes. His immaculately polished shoes added to his refined outward appearance.  
As she watched him, she also became aware of his laid back manner even at such a prestigious event, said to be "_One of the highlights of the young people of Oxfordshire's lives_" According to a well-to-do newspaper.

Aware of their close proximity she stepped back, Pan curling about her shoulders, his sleek pine martin fur gleaming in the gas lamp light. He seemed to be appraising the magpie daemon, his jet black eyes transfixed on the bird. In turn the magpie seemed to be transfixed on Pan, her small head cocked to one side, the two of them locked in an epic battle of wits.

Lyra looked between one then the other, and then back at the gentleman in front of her, realising that she did not know his name, and he hers, never mind coming up to her unintroduced, but to conduct a conversation with her, all the while not even hinting towards his name was down right rude!  
She cleared her throat, and he looked back at her, from his inspection of the room. He raised an eyebrow at her as she began.  
"I seem to recall you saying that it was bad mannered of you to start up a conversation with me unintroduced." She stated, and at the slight nod he gave her, she carried on, "Well, is it not exceedingly disrespectful to continue addressing said person when proper introductions have _still_ not been made?"

At her observation he had the decency to look sheepish, and cleared his throat roughly, and swept into yet again another bow. "I once again apologise greatly Madame," he said, straightening, "I am David Walter Scott, the second." He smiled at her as she stared at him blankly.

"You." was all that she could manage, as she realised that she had spoken to David Walter Scott the second, not only one of the pompous idiots, who only moments before she had been complaining about, as they waltzed into the hall like freshly pruned peacocks, but also the son of **The** David Walter Scott.

Everyone had heard of the Scott's, even the humble laundry maid had heard of them, who often dreamed that she would be swept off her feet by the awfully handsome son of theirs.  
The original David Walter Scott, the first, had done very well for himself, and was considered to be one of the richest men in Oxfordshire, and heck, Lyra thought, maybe even England! The Scott's had been a favourite of the gossips in St. Sophia's, and seen as Lyra shared a room with Kitty, or rather Katherine, possibly one of the biggest gossips in the school, she found she knew a lot about his financial side- that he was more than rich, and had come into a lot of new money lately. She looked up into his face again and was relieved to find that he was neither mad or pitying towards her, but his haughty expression was back in place, which, she found annoyed her to no end.

As the band struck up another, more lively tune, he glanced at the dance floor, and then at her, before boldly asking, "May I have this dance?" and sweeping her off to the dance floor in a rather uncouth manner, not waiting for an answer. Pan then clung round her neck in fear that he might fall off, all the while muttering about, 'Untrained individuals in the politest of society...think its below them, manners...' and it was all Lyra could do but try not to laugh.

* * *

The gigantic clock that was set into the wall at the head of the hall ticked out the time; ten thirty. Will still wondered what he was doing in the hall, or where ever he was, anyway. He found himself wondering, for what must have been for the thousand time, where Kirjava was, she had been right next to him as he... It suddenly dawned on him. He must be dreaming! If this was his minds way of having a joke, he certainly wasn't finding it very funny. He stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets, and leaned sulkily against a gigantic column. At least he was wearing reasonably smart clothes when he fell asleep he mused; pin stripped trousers, and a white shirt, so he didn't feel, or look too out of place. He had a feeling that he would probably be thrown out if he was not dressed right, and then he'd be stuffed. But now that he came to think of it, he didn't really recall wearing pyjamas in any of his other dreams, so how he had remembered what he was wearing when he fell asleep was beside him. 

His eyes found the figure again. She had been talking to _him_ for half an hour. That bloke. The one, who in Wills' opinion was far too full of himself. He watched, transfixed as she waltzed around the room, her skirts swishing, every now and then showing the whitest petticoats he had ever seen. Not that he often saw petticoats, but he was sure that they were whiter than anything he had seen before.

She was young, and looked to be about his age, her face set in silent concentration, which was only broken when her partner passed a comment, to which she would smile absentmindedly and then continue to focus on her dance steps.

He moved around the edge of the room, trying to catch her eye, just for a moment. He was sure that there was something about her. She looked familiar and he couldn't help but feel a curious sensation rising towards this young woman.  
She laughed politely at something her partner said and Will found himself smiling too. He immediately felt guilty as he remembered the way Lyra used to smile at him, and realising he was being eyed up by various girls, yet again, pulled himself out of his daze and stared resolutely out of the French windows. Walking along the wall where the windows stretched nearly as high as the ceiling, Will found himself standing next to a door that led out onto a large balcony, that could easily of housed a large swimming pool. A cool breeze fluttered in through the door, welcome relief from the warm room, which, he reflected was probably made hotter by the attention that was focused on him. Looking around the shimmering grand hall and then peering out into the darkness, his eyes trying to adjust, he stepped outside.

A breeze wrapped around his body, and he breathed a sigh, to calm his nerves at being in such an alien place. Very few guests had ventured onto the polished marble balcony, instead choosing to stay inside and dance, or in the case of most girls, gossip. He glanced around, there were four or five couples promenading around the space, the ladies dressed in high fashion, and the men smart with cravats poking out from the top of their waistcoats. He stared moodily out into the garden, the last fading rays from the sun illuminating the rose beds, only just managing to peek over the walls that surrounded the garden.

He heard a tittering sound, and glanced to his right, and seeing a pair of girls come to rest on the carved railing beside him, continued with his brooding. He was in no mood to be bothered by such girly girls, and was just about to move away when his heart gave a leap at the young women's conversation, which made him freeze in anticipation.

"Yes Bessie, she really was dancing with _him_. I really don't know what makes all of these men show any sort of interest in her, I mean Lyra never comes across as the sociable type! I could almost swear that, for the most part of the evening she was trying to avoid talking to _anybody!!"_ A girl with tight brown ringlets was saying, her Yorkshire terrier daemon scuttling excitedly around her ankles, showing her delight at the change to gossip behind another girls back. Will's heart stopped at the name 'Lyra', surely that wasn't _that_ common a name, and if they were talking about Lyra then that must mean that he was in Lyra's Oxford!  
He was soon drawn back to the present as the conversation carried on.

"I understand what you mean, Kitty," Replied the other girl, who was slightly plumper than her companion, her mousy brown hair hiding her mouse daemon, whose black eyes shone in the light from the hall, "I was wondering when he would come and ask you to dance, everyone knows that you two would make a darling couple!"

The girl called Kitty tittered again, replying "don't be so loud Bessie! People might actually hear you, and we could not have people spreading roomers about the wonderful Mr. Scott!" She leaned towards her companion, and continued in a lower voice, forcing Will to shuffle closer towards them and strain his ears to hear. "I mean not everyone knows that she used to be a wild and uncivilised child! Used to live at Jordan, amongst all of those _men_! How she managed to get a place at St Sophia's is a bit of a mystery too. Disappeared for a long time, then out of nowhere, poof!" She emphasised with her hands, as the other girls face gave away the surprise at the scandal, "She comes back from god-knows-where, and gets a place at Sophia's! Although its been said..." At that point she trailed off as Will noticed a couple joining their party.

The girl with ringlets rushed forward to meet them, as Will moved away so he could watch the exchange.  
"Lyra!!" the slim girl with ringlets exclaimed as she greeted the couple, and then, addressing the young woman's male counterpart, swept into a low curtsy with a humble, "Mr. Scott! How wonderful to finally make your acquaintance!" The plumper girl soon followed her friend, her curtsy slightly more clumsy and less well rehearsed, while she mumbled a, "Miss Silvertongue, Mr. Scott." The man graced them both with a bow, and then turned to his companion, who introduced them all, and promptly started up a conversation.

Will sat on a bench a short way down the balcony, so as not to pry, but could not help his heart beat speeding up as he gazed upon the woman who had just joined the group. She was the girl who he saw dancing, and if the girls he was listening to were correct, she was also called Lyra. Lyra Silvertongue. He was sure _that _name wasn't common, and only bestowed upon Lyra. His Lyra. He watched as she contributed to the conversation, the two girls perfectly friendly, where as mere moments before they had been raising hell about the girl that now stood in front of them. He realised that he recognised her because he had loved her, but she had changed and altered greatly, and he wondered how four and a half years had altered him.

She was pretty, no beautiful with a slim shape, complimented by her dress, and her face shape was more defined, with high cheekbones and full lips. Her hair had grown and was pulled up, and she wore a choker which accented her slender neck. Will could not believe how she had changed, and had a sudden urge to touch her, hold her, kiss her.

He was pulled out of his retrieve by the young man, who addressed him directly, "Good evening Sir! Could you lend a voice in trying to explain to these ladies why the recent aircraft developments mean so much to us, and that, in fact it will enable us to travel further, faster than any zeppelin ever did?"

Will, shocked, rose to join in the debate he was not sure he could help, but as he caught Lyra's eye, he felt a spark and, from the look on her face knew that she felt it too.

* * *

A/N: Hello again! I hope you enjoyed that chapter, I enjoyed writing it, despite the sore bum I now have... ouch 

I will update soon, before my summer holiday is over, and before I have to start the terrible A levels, where I will be up half the night again...joy.

I want to say a great big THANK YOU to all of you who have stuck with me through my mysterious absence ;D and also to my reviwers of chapter 4...

hanjuuluver, Iddie K, Quill334, Liam, Igerne, Star-climber-wolf, alex, Siriel the treelady, I dance alone, Psychoanalysis and asdfghjk.

Thank you guys for your complements and encourigement-it means a lot


	6. Shaken and Stirred

A/N: Went to see "The Golden Compass" yesterday. It was quite good, but not as good as the book... which is brilliant! I was going to say something else, but I don't want to spoil it for those of you who want to see it, but haven't had the chance yet. I suppose we'll get loads of people writing film fanfiction in here now... Ah well :(

(I don't own HDM! Thought I'd slip a discalimer in there)

A special thanks to my reviewers! claps

BobtheFrog, fluffernutter, theshadow13, Mrs. Radcliffe 13, hanjuuluver, Anzer'ke, Eternityfalls, Zillac, XIII Dragon, guardian of the flame, Stargazer7000, RiverofWind, bookworm97, Lakien, Susannah and silver windflame. Thanks guys, your feedback is greatly appriciated, and finally, after how long :P

* * *

Shaken and Stirred

The group Will had just joined debated about the pros and cons of aircraft development for sometime, while Will made occasional, non-committal noises. He felt out of place, but at the same time oddly comfortable with his surroundings, the cool summer breeze calming his nerves. Each time his and Lyras' eyes met, he felt that same jolt of electricity, and each time gained a quizzical look from her.

"You seem familiar Sir," she addressed him at last, "Do you attend these gatherings regularly?" She stared up into his face, obviously determined to unravel the cloak of mystery that surrounded him.

Upon glancing round at his fellow companions, he saw looks of surprise and uncomfort barely hidden under well rehearsed masks of indifference. Collecting himself first, the young gentleman escorting _his_ Lyra whom he had discovered was called Mr Scott, gave a deep throated chuckle, and smiled.

"Miss. Silvertounge, I hardly think that that is the right way to greet our guest…" He trailed off as her steely gaze met his. He seemed quite taken aback at such behaviour.

"Indeed, _Sir,_" Continued Lyra, switching her gaze back onto Will, "You have not even told us your name, and in polite company it is only proper of you to do so." She raised an eyebrow in question, but Will had been expecting this, and smiled.

"Well then, forgive me for I have not heard any of your name either." His gaze bore into hers, and she dropped her eyes, flushing and muttering a small, "Oh."

The young gentleman smiled, and in a rather reproachful manner said to Lyra, "I think it time for you to introduce yourself first."

However, just as Lyra opened her mouth to form the first syllable, Will found himself with an unexplainable pain in his arm, as though someone, or something had just stabbed him. He once again found four pairs of eyes staring curiously at him, to which he replied, "Pulled muscle." Even though he knew he was lying. He felt the same pain again, and found himself muttering a small "ouch" and clutching his arm. Again he dismissed their looks with a shake of the head, until Mr. Scott noticed.

"Good lord man, your bleeding!"

To his, and everyone else's surprise, Will looked down at his arm, where he had been in pain and found four pricks of blood seeping through his shirt. His brow furrowed, and he glanced up towards the others, to see his look mirrored on their faces as well.

For the third he felt a sharp pain, and watched as he began to bleed more copiously, and looked around as if to see what had caused him to bleed for apparently no reason.

Mr Scott seemed to be the first of them to gather his wits, shaking his head slightly, and saying, "Lets get you cleaned up, I'm sure there is someone that can provide us with some kind of medical aid."

Will could see that Mr. Scott had gone pale, and found it quite amusing to see such a calm collected man pale at the sigh of blood. He glanced down, and saw that he was actually bleeding profusely, and so with a nod to the ladies they were with, Mr. Scott and Will departed.

They had barely reached the balcony doors, however, when Lyra hurried over to them.

" Mr. Scott! Please let me accompany you and…um," she glanced over Will, and he felt like all his secrets had been laid bare, "Let me come with you, its getting rather chilly out here…" She trailed off and Will looked over her shoulder to see two murderous glances being directed at his Lyra.

Mr. Scott smiled, "Lyra, erm, sorry, Miss. Silvertounge, its hardly suitable for a young lady such as yourself to have to put up with this terrible gash…"

Lyra seemed insulted and replied curtly, "Oh for heavens sake, its only a bit of blood!" There was a pause as Mr. Scott stared at her. "Sir" she added, as an afterthought, and before he could reply, she grabbed hold of Wills arm, and steered him into the hall, Mr. Scott following behind like a lost puppy.

She smiled at Will, and he felt his insides squirm, a warm, familiar feeling rushing through his blood. "My name is Mr. Parry" he ventured.

She flashed him another polite smile.

"I'm not from around here" he prompted, hoping to refresh her memory.

Lyra stopped, and Will nearly crashed into her, just as Mr. Scott nearly crashed into the back of him.

"Here we are!" she announced, with a flourish of her hand. "Sick bay and First aid."

Will read the sign above the door as she spoke. "I'll wait out here for you Mr. Parry, and I'm sure Mr. Scott can accompany you inside.

He smiled in gratitude as he and Mr. Scott moved past her and through the arch off to the side of the entrance hall near where the rest of the facilities were. Mr. Scott informed the Nurse, and she fussed about Will, making him take off his shirt so she could examine the wound.

"We normally just get prissy girls in here, complaining about blisters, a sprained ankle or two, but I haven't seen anything like this at a ball before. May I inquire as to how this happened, Sir?" She babbled on. Before Will could open his mouth to reply, however, Mr. Scott replied; "It was a plant out on the balcony, I'd like to see them pruned better in the future, Madame."

The nurse glanced up at him. "Oh! My word! Mr. Scott, of coarse, Sir, yes. I'll just leave you here to see to this young man while I speak to the management."

She left in a bustle of skirts and mutterings, leaving the two young men alone with an uncomfortable silence stretching out in front of them.

"What.." began Will, but Mr. Scott was already answering his unasked question in hushed tones.

"I'd advise you to be quiet concerning matters to do with what happened out on the balcony." Will tried to interrupt, but was stopped as Mr. Scott continued, "People here are very cautious about the unknown here, Mr. Parry, and they do not take kindly to being told that things just happened out of the blue. Structured society needs to have reasons behind everything, and if there is no reasoning they try to find some. No matter how obscure- it could be that you are clinically insane- they don't care, as long as there is a _reason_." He stressed the word reason, and once again, Will tried to stop him talking, but he hadn't finished yet. "I know, just as well as you that there is nothing outside that did that to you, and I also know that none of the ladies will mention anything, so I suggest you exercise caution, and do not mention this again."

He gave a curt nod, and he relaxed slightly, giving Will a small smile. "I will wait outside with Miss. Silvertounge for you, and let you redress yourself in peace." And with that he left, leaving a rather confused Will sat behind.

He looked around the small room, if you could call it that, it was more like a glorified alcove, in Will's opinion. He stared around, as if in a daze, and realised that this was the first time he had time to think about where he was since he had arrived to the ballroom. Wherever the ballroom was…. HE assumed it was in Lyra's Oxford, but since he had never been there, he was not so sure.

He picked up his shirt, and began putting it on, feeling cold in the cool room. He looked around, closed his eyes, felt the pain in his arm again, worse this time, and looked up at the dark ceiling in his bedroom.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lyra stood outside, pondering this strange meeting with this strange man. She had noticed that he had no dæ mon, but didn't want to alarm anyone else, especially the man, by pointing it out. She hoped that he wasn't one of those from the labs in Bolvangar…but no, he seemed to animated, too emotional, too _alive_ to be one of those that was forever separated from their dæ mon. Their soul. 

She was shortly joined by Mr. Scott, and they stood in silence for some time before he cleared his throat.

"Please don't start talking to me" thought Lyra desperately _"There's something not right about that young man, and I need to think…"_

Mr. Scott seemed to think better of the situation and shut his mouth, instead staring intently at the wood engraving of a cross on the door to the medical room, his dæ mon bobbing on his shoulder, its black eyes staring intently at her.

Pan sneaked himself around her shoulders, his weight a comfort as she pondered the mysterious young man who was behind the medical room door. She prided herself on being quite a good judge of character- something that she had picked up on her adventures, but he managed to confuse her. Her stomach tying in knots when he merely glanced at her. She was sure that she had heard his name somewhere before, perhaps he was just another one of the pompous idiots in suits that the girls as St. Sophias like to gossip about. God knows how she could forget how wonderful Mo. Smart was, or how sophisticated Mr. Dean had been.

She glanced at Mr. Scott, who seemed deep in concentration. She glanced at the clock. She glanced at the door. She heard a thud on the other side of the heavy wood door and yanked it open.

* * *

Kirjava paced around Will's frozen form. She didn't like this, not one bit. She licked at the wound on his arm, and glanced down at the wound on hers too. She hadn't meant to hurt him, but she was so worried. She had been cosily snuggled up to his side, until her head began spinning. Bright lights, fragments of melodies and chatter. She wondered if it was Will's dream, so she tried to wake him up. 

He wouldn't wake so she became more crazed until both of them were bleeding.

He stirred. Moaned.

* * *

Will puzzled the ceiling. He didn't remember the ceiling of the room being this near. Then he realised 

He sat bolt upright as if burned, "Lyra!" Kirjava fell off the bed, and Will finally realised where he was. Springing from his bed, he scooped Kirjava up in his arms and strode to the window. Setting her down on the sill he exhaled loudly as he looked out across Oxford. It was still pitch dark, and as he looked at his luminous clock it blinked out 11:30.

"It must have been a dream", he muttered as he tiredly rubbed his eyes.

"Well. I didn't like it", mewled Kirjava as she brushed her tail under Will's nose, "I didn't mean to hurt us though…" She sighed and curled her tail around her feet.

Will looked at his arm.

The bandage was still there.

* * *

A/N: Well there you go, another chapter for you to stick your teeth into. Seriously don't though- you'll probably wreck your computer... Hopefuly I'll see you soon, reviews make me want to work faster :D (nudge nudge wink wink) lol Hope that was alright... 

Mandaius Meander


	7. Fly By Night

Well…I'm back again! Who would have known that school got harder the older you got? Anyway, have I abandoned you? No! I do intend to finish this story, but I'm not sure how long it'll be… (there are plenty more chapters though… I'm not cutting it short) And because my exams finished early, I have time off for the rest of my study leave, so I intend to get a few more chappies tucked under my belt. And btw, anyone read "Once upon a time in the north"? Its like "Lyra's Oxford", but about Lee and Iorek, tis good, I really enjoyed it, _and_ its got some letters in it from Lyra to somone called Tom... hmm.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed and those of you reading and not reviewing…what can a say :P. I also want to say a BIG thank you to those of you who've stuck with me from the beginning- you inspire me, and I suppose this is dedicated to you. You know who you are :) So, without further ado, I give you…

Fly by Night

Lyra and Mr. Scott looked at each other and both rushed towards the door. Mr. Scott was intent upon knocking, while Lyra wrenched the door open in a most undignified manner to find the room empty. She gasped as she walked further into the small alcove like space. Her head twisted as she looked for an escape route that the mysterious young man may have taken. She patted the wall as Mr. Scott came to stand in the room behind her.

"How awfully odd!" He exclaimed, and then as an after thought, "I suppose it's a good job, he did seem like a strange fellow, I for one have never seen him _anywhere _before." His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and amazement.

Lyra spun around to face him, but did not anticipate him standing so near to her, so she glared at his top button before slowly finding his face.

"Good job?" She echoed. "Good job?" She asked as her voice rose in pitch, her earrings swinging around her face. Mr. Scott seemed taken aback and stepped away from her, rather alarmed.

"It e'nt a good job at all! He's gone, an' you don't give a monkeys!" She automatically switched back to her childhood accent, not realising in her haste to get her point across.

Pan eyed up his dæmon before hopping onto the small seat and scurrying around the edges, clearly conveying Lyra's anxiety. Mr. Scott tried to calm her down, but she seemed to have blocked him out of her senses, as she simply patted the walls of the room again, and sighed, "_And_ I never got to know his name."

He cleared his throat loudly, "I'll go and...er, fetch someone then, shall I?" And he walked off without waiting for a reply.

Meanwhile Lyra still continued her search as thoughts of the young man swarmed around in her head.

* * *

Dame Hannah was sitting in a corner sipping her sherry and enjoyed watching the girls mingle. She hummed a little to herself, as the alcohol worked its way through her veins, making the evening seem even better than it already was. She couldn't help but notice that her favourite student had caught the eye of a very influential young man slightly earlier in the evening. She had watched them dancing, and then walk onto the terrace, yet she did not remember seeing them come back in, but she was sure Lyra was in good hands, and the sherry was quickly going to her head.. She looked around the room and decided to make her way over to the Duchess of Devon, a rather skinny woman with a plump husband.

However, she never made it over to the Duchess as Mr. Scott quickly intercepted her. He looked her in the eye, and inclined his head.

"I noticed that Lyra seems to attend your school, St. Sophia's, am I right?" He asked.

Dame Hanna replied with a nod; it was not every day that she was approached by a handsome young gentleman, whether he was romantically interested or not.

He ploughed on, "Lyra seems to be acting a bit oddly, Ma'am" He said, and Dame Hannah quickly became aware that she _had _seen Lyra return from the terrace. With Mr. Scott and another young man. Hoping no harm had come to one of her brightest students, she gave a curt nod, drew up to her full height, and swept from the main area of the ballroom.

* * *

Lyra stood in the middle of the small room, feeling very confused and very confined. Pan had calmed down some from his frantic dash, yet his black eyes seemed to sparkle as he moved his head, peering around the room.

Dame Hannah bustled into the room, a worried frown creasing her forehead, and her golden dress rustling as she walked. "It was very sensible of you to fetch me, Mr Scott. I'm sure she has just become a bit too excited and become indisposed."

Mr. Scott hummed in response as he walked away to fetch Lyra's shawl, vacating his place from behind the older woman, and leaving the two women in relative privacy. Lyra sat on the small seat embedded into the wall with her head in her hands, and Pantalaimon curled in her lap. Dame Hannah crouched down gracefully next to her.

"Look at me, child" She commanded in a soothing voice, and Lyra felt her eyes drawn to the other woman's. "I dare say you look quite pale, Lyra dear, I shall call for the carriage while Mr. Scott waits with you." Mr. Scott had just appeared in the doorway with Lyra's shawl and Dame Hannah motioned him forward before leaving the room.

He stood looking awkward in the door for a while, before moving over to the seat, pulling up his trousers, like all gentlemen are taught to do before sitting down next to Lyra. She could feel his leg against hers, and his breath fluttered against her neck. She subconsciously leaned into him, as he rigidly patted her on the back.

"The carriage should not be long, and you will soon feel better, Miss Lyra." He murmured. Lyra thought he was being a bit forward, but said nothing as they continued to sit there. At the return of Dame Hannah, Lyra stood up straight, grabbed her shawl form Mr. Scott, who had kindly taken it from Dame Hannah to give to her, and wrapped it around her shoulders as Pan settled himself on top of it.

"Thank you very much, Mr Scott, for accompanying me in my time of need, I'm sure I shall be fine tomorrow. Good evening." And so she left, a stunned silence following, as Dame Hannah had never seen her act so 'properly' before.

As she stepped into the carriage with the help of one of the footmen, Lyra could not help but grin at the look on Mr. Scott's face when she retaliated to his remark. It had been a very eventful night. Not only had she met Mr. Scott, but also the mysterious young man, who disappeared as quickly as he had arrived, and she been able to leave the party early, always a bonus as she was sure it would last until the early hours of the morning. She unwrapped her shawl, and found, to her surprise, a note embedded in it. It read;

__

Miss Lyra,

I am dreadfully sorry that you have to leave, I apologise for the handwriting, I am writing this quickly as I am under the guise of retrieving this for you. If you ever need, or want to write me, My address is as follows;

St. John's college,

St. Giles Street,

Oxford.

I hear you have a love of walking, so you may wish to visit instead. Either way, I hope to hear from you soon,

Yours truly, David Scott

Lyra sat staring at the note for some time before smiling and scrunching it in her hand. She would make sure she wrote to Mr. Scott tomorrow. She wasn't sure what she should write in reply to the note, but an apology would be acceptable any way.

She leant her head back against the cushion of the seat, the gentle sway of the carriage, caused by the canter of the horse, calming her frazzled nerves. She had not expected this ball to be any more eventful than the others; have some drinks and oeuvres, avoid detection by those of the opposite sex, and be endlessly annoyed by the silly girls of St. Sophia's.

She sighed. She could feel a headache coming on, which wasn't good, as she wanted to consult the alethiometer about the events of the evening. That meant getting down to some serious study as she couldn't remember what all of the symbols meant off the top of her head. This frustrated her to no end because of her earlier years when using the alethiometer was simple. Now she simply could not find the right context, or her mind would always wander.

The carriage ride passed by surprisingly fast for Lyra, probably because she did not have to listen to Kitty's mindless prattle, she mused. As she stepped down from the carriage, helped by the footman, who's dog dæ mon, a bloodhound, waited obediently by his feet. Lyra thanked the man as Pantalaimon crawled around her neck eyeing up the other dæ mon.

She bid the footman goodnight, and hurried into the college building, her heels tapping on the stone steps, and echoing down the corridors of the nearly empty college. Once she reached her room, she breathed a sigh of relief as she reached up to take the many thousands of pins out of her hair.

After her ritual was complete, she looked in the mirror at her reflection. It was obvious that her mother had passed her looks onto her daughter. Lyra's blond hair had darkened due to hours closed up indoors studying and becoming a 'well defined lady' instead of playing in the sun with the Gyptian's children. Her blue eyes gazed back at her and she allowed her walls to collapse. The change was immediate as fears and memories swum in amongst the blue, adding more depth to this seamlessly carefree young woman.

She glanced at the clock, and collected the things she would need to ask the alethiometer about the mysterious Mr. Parry. She was sure she had heard the name before…

She sat on her bed, her legs tucked under her and Pan tucked down the side of her, a warm weight and comfort along her side. Lyra lay the alethiometer on her lap, and tried to focus on what kind of question to ask. Dame Hannah's words echoed in her mind, "_You must focus on quite a specific question; so it is not too vague, but it must be vague enough for the alethiometer to answer it in enough depth…_". Lyra wasn't quite sure what Dame Hannah meant, so she tried to block all other thoughts from her head while she thought about the young man from the ball.

Her mind suddenly became clear and she turned the three dials along the edge of the circular instrument, closing her eyes she focused, and tried not to grasp at the answer. She opened her eyes and gasped.

* * *

Will had been sitting still for some time, gazing out of his window across Oxford, the streetlamps blinking up at him, and he sighed. Kirjava was wound tightly around herself on his lap, burrowing into his warmth, confused as to what had just happened. Her eyes were slightly glassy as she gazed unblinkingly up at Will. He turned to look at her and sighed again.

"So you didn't see anything?" He asked as Kirjava began to shift her weight in his lap.

"I could hear so much, Will, _so_ much. It was so confusing, the music, the dancing…I just didn't know what was happening," She paused and butted his side with her head. "You wouldn't wake, and I was worried."

Will looked down lovingly on his dæ mon, and picked her up as he wandered over to the bed. He lay down and she crawled up to his face, tickling him with her whiskers.

"Don't sleep Will. _Please _don't sleep again." She mewled.

Will turned to regard her, and muttered, "I don't think I can, Kirjava. Tonight was just… I don't know what happened, but I intend to find out. So many thoughts swimming in my head, I just…"

"I know, Will, I know…" The cat finished, curling into his side. Both knew something strange had happened and as they caught each others eye, they both knew that they would get to the bottom of this mystery.

The sun rose over the horizon, yet the streetlights still shone on the sleeping neighbourhood, and all was quiet but for the breathing of one young man and his cat dæ mon.

There you go, a bit more action :) Hope that'll do for now- reviews are appreciated, speaking of which;

Reviewers…You rock :) :)

empty-spaces (sorry I didn't reply, and thanks!), mgmgmg5554-Thanks :) , Vampanezze, Gordon Liang (for chapter 1), fash10ngirl, thaliastree13, Sergeant O'Reilly, Igerne- hope this doesn't disappoint, uniquegrl7, Emily- sorry its been a while, Reality-in-Reverse, James- yeah, the ending…hmm well I hope this helps lol, RiverofWind, Alan Candlewick, Lakien, Anzer'ke, ilikehoney, raeroochella, Miguel- thank you so much :) and er…its not the end lol, lysori, Akkarin- noo, not the spoon! cries, marina916, Mrs. Radcliffe 13, BobtheFrog


	8. The Morning After

A/N: I want to say a big thank you to all my reviewers, who are Michelle Amethyst, Mairi, monkey123, fash10ngirl, Life is Like a Novel, Mrs. Radcliffe 13, Igerne, Darknight of WoodClan, Freakily obsessed Yassen fan, XIII Dragon, Anjirika, RiverofWind, Artemis Fowl II, Anzer'ke

And for those of you I did not reply to, I'm sorry. I've been busy, but I won't bore you with the details. If there's anyone still following this, I love you and offer you my eternal thanks for not giving up! I've written quite a few chapters, and I hope to keep ahead of myself. I have a definite view for where this story is going...but don't worry its not close yet! Either you're saying yay! more to read or nooo! I have to wait for this blessed author to update lol. Either way, I'm going to change my ways....maybe that should be my new years resolution. I've probably said this before, but it seems my muse has come back.

Ok I edited this to the best of my ability...I had to take it down and re post it because it came up with loads of mistakes...dunno why but hey... thats life...

It's a bit short, but I'm going to update more often, so no hard feelings, right? lol

* * *

Chapter 8: The Morning after

The next time Will glanced at Kirjava, he noted that she was curled up in a ball, sleeping soundly. He sighed, and turned over, restless. He had too much on his mind to even dose, so he lay awake, pondering the strange occurrences of his dream. It had felt so real, and for a moment he wondered if he had crossed into Lyra's world, as the Lyra of his dream was more mature than the her usual younger image. As he rolled over again, he realised that many people spoke of dreams being so vivid that they felt that they were real.

He sighed, and resigned himself to the truth. He probably just used Lyra to portray his fancy of the moment, yet he could not shake off the feeling that if he had touched her, he would have found out how real she really was.

Several hours later, Will rose from his bed, feeling more tired than he had the previous night. Leaving Kirjava sleeping, he grabbed his school books and headed out, grabbing some toast on the way. The day stretched out endlessly before him.

He walked to school, passing his neighbours house. The house of a girl who harboured a crush on him, and who Mary thought, "was a sweetheart". She appeared to be the perfect girl next door, yet Will knew her better. Going to school with her for four years had made him realise that she wasn't particularly nice at times. Normally when she didn't get what she wanted. He used to think she may get irritated with him and leave him alone if he didn't give her what she wanted- him. He was already spoken for thank you very much. Even if the girl didn't exist in this universe... He smiled. The dream last night had revived his hope and rejuvenated his efforts- he vowed to return to Botanic garden that night to try again. Only for a few hours. He didn't want to get home as late as he did the night before.

He looked at the footpath and scuffed at the stones as he walked, hearing a girly, "Hi Will" from his next door neighbour.

"Hey, Jade" was his reply. Their customary greeting it seemed. He carried on walking, not looking up.

* * *

A searing pain had overtaken Lyra, and she gasped as Pan recoiled from the alethiometer. She dropped the precious instrument and stood up suddenly, banging her head on the ceiling, as it sloped lower over her bed. Using a few chosen words not fit for a lady, she blinked, trying to clear the tears of pain stinging her vision. As they cleared, she sat down heavily on the chair of her vanity table. Pan jumped deftly into her lap, and she clutched him to her chest.

"What on earth just happened?" He asked, trembling in her grip.

Lyra took in a shaky breath, glad that everyone was still at the ball. She wouldn't want Kitty telling everyone that she was "indisposed".

She sighed, "I don't know, Pan. It seemed as though there was something I should have seen, but I couldn't. That light….and I felt as though I was being burned by the alethiometer." She quickly glanced at her hands, and up her arms. Upon seeing no damage, she continued, "But I'm not hurt… It felt as though …It felt like I was being burned up on the inside! I don't understand, but whoever that young man was, I bet he'll be trouble."

Pan looked up into her face and nodded, "We'll have to find out more about him in the morning." He yawned, adding, "We'd best get some sleep or Kitty will make us explain everything, and never let us rest."

Lyra nodded, concealing a yawn, and crawled into bed, being careful to hide the alethiometer, and turn off the light. However, several hours later, Lyra still lay awake, despite her weariness, feigning sleep as Kitty waltzed into the room, and into bed, humming Hayden's "String Quartet".

The next morning Lyra awoke after a fitful night of sleep, shown by the faint bags under her eyes. However, she covered them up with powder as all ladies should. Pan's fur, on the other hand, portrayed his bad night, and it took a while to get it to stay flat, much to his annoyance, and Lyra's amusement, which did not improve his mood.

As Lyra entered the dining hall for breakfast, many heads turned her way. A strange mix of roomers had spread the night before, and Lyra smiled at some as she passed, heading towards her seat.

"I heard she insulted Mr. Scott then fainted in his arms!"

"I heard that she began hallucinating, so Dame Hannah had to send her home so she did not shame the whole institution!" ("The Scandal!" was added by her friend)

Ignoring the whispering to the best of her ability, Lyra sat down and began to butter a croissant. However, she was rudely interrupted by Kitty.

"Well?" She said eagerly, eyeing Lyra like some kind of rare jewel. "I'm just _dying_ to hear the _truth_ about your run in with the fabulous Mr. Scott and the mystery man!" She tittered, looking at the girls around them, all who had their ears pricked, yet feigned ignorance about the whole issue.

Lyra took a deep breath. "There's not much to say really Kitty" She began, choosing her words carefully. If she said to little it would be presumed that something was happening, something almost _scandalous _and she did not want most of St. Sophia's deliberating her non-existent relationship with Mr. Scott.

"I danced with Mr. Scott, and then we went out onto the balcony to enjoy the evening, where we met you and began to chat with the other young gentleman."

Kitty sighed impatiently, as if explaining something to a simpleton. "_No_, silly." She began. "I mean to say, what happened _after_ our little run in. What an earth was wrong with that gentleman's arm? He was rather dashing, don't you think?" She added as an afterthought, fully aware that nearly all of the 12 girls sat on the table were listening intently to their conversation.

Lyra successfully disguised her snort as she took a sip of tea. It was only 8:30 and she was already in the middle of the Spanish Inquisition. The day seemed to stretch before her, filled with things that she didn't really give two figs about.

A/N: Well, I know not very much went on there, but it had to be done, its going to be needed later on! Kitty is annoying, even I'm starting to be irritated, and I created her! lol

Well I think I actually need to say thanks to Confusedknight as odd as it sounds. If you've read any of the "Protector of the Small" series then read her story "Fallen" it puts my updating to shame.... :( but I thought if she finds time to do something so fantastic so regularly, then I should find time to put my stuff up :)

Thanks for reading... and reviewing is even easier now... isn't it? \/\/\/\/


	9. Will's Story

Well, here's another chapter- I updated quite quickly...for me :) lol Hope you like, it's a bit more about Will's side than Lyra's- I just thought I'd been talking about her a bit too much and not enough about what's going on with Will. Quite a bit of dialogue in it...but that never hurt anyone. Exams have been hellish, but I'm trying to sort out my time management, and get my butt into gear with this story :) Hope you like

I'd like to thank RiverofWind, hanjuuluver, Anzer'ke, CheeseyCraziness and uniquegrl7- thanks for taking the time to review, it means a lot. 118 people read the last chapter, but you five took the time to review :):)

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Will's Story

Will had successfully survived most of the school day, had been fascinated with his subjects and annoyed by his peers. The last lesson of the day rolled by, and he took his seat. He disliked music. Not the subject, of course, just the people. He sighed as everyone else began filing in through the door. Once settled, the teacher began. He loved listening to the excerpts and learning about the context of the composition. He loved the contrast of a largo and an allegro, but he hated sharing a table with several rather silly girls. In his opinion, compared to his down to earth Lyra, they were intolerable.

He would try to chat to them, but they would giggle most annoyingly at this jokes and find things he was talking about a bit _too_ interesting for his liking. It was common knowledge that the main 'ringleader' Jade had her eye on Will, along with a few others, but she was by far the most irritating. Probably because she was the only one that tried to 'woo' him. That and the fact that she lived next door to him.

Since returning from his adventures with Mary, they had gone and relieved Will's old piano teacher of her task. She was relieved, and Mrs Parry seemed to be happy that her son had returned. They moved into quite a modest house- a semi detached, two up, two down affair, which had suited them all. A room each, and Will's mother even began to settle down. Her behaviour had become less erratic, and with Mary's help she had been able to regain some of her mind. She usually sat at home and watched televsion, or helped Mary sort her books, which she greatly enjoyed. Sometimes Will would return home to find the house empty, which worried him at first, but Mary would always leave a note- they usually went down to a nice cafe down the high street. All in all, the house had very quickly become their home. Sat on a hill in the suburbs of Oxford, Will had a good view over the city, and often found himself on adventures with Lyra along the rooftops of the colleges...before waking up from his daydream of "Will! Tea!" from Mary.

The only issue with the house was, of course, Jade, who had come round to introduce herself on the day they moved in. Pigtails swaying, and blowing bubbles with her bubblegum, she looked six rather than Will's age. She soon grew up when she realised the house was inhabited by a boy. She grew out of her pigtails as fast as you could blink. She started sitting in the garden whenever Will was outside, or knocking on his door to see if he wanted 'showing around'. Mary thought she was a "Sweet girl" and that Will "ought to give her more of a chance, y'know" But he didn't want to. Why did everyone seem to be so focussed with him moving on with his life? Couldn't her just live in the past for a little while longer?

Will sighed and turned his attention from the lesson to the clock. 'Only half an hour to go' he thought, and doodled a few music notes on his paper. With his head cupped in his hand, he tried to ignore the looks that Jade kept trying to send him. He wished she'd stop. It lowered the whole tone of the lesson.

Once finally free, Will strolled to the Botanic gardens. As he wandered through the archway and flower beds he let himself unwind.

Finally reaching his destination of the bench, he loosened his tie and sat down heavily. At this time in the afternoon, the gardens were sparely populated, just a few old people strolling round the more manicured beds or sitting on benches talking of days gone by. To Will, the garden was a haven from the hustle and bustle of a city whose population had outgrown its size.

He turned as the leaves of a laurel bush behind him shook, and a cat landed gracefully on the park bench next to him. To any passer by this would have looked like a stray or pet come to say hello to its owner, yet Kirjava was more than that. Will thought that she looked to knowledgeable to be a normal cat. He laughed as she climbed onto his knee stiffly.

"How long have you been sitting on that tree branch?" He asked, humour in his tone as Kirjava stretched her back legs out.

"Nearly an hour" she replied sweetly as she kneaded his leg with her claws with rather more force than necessary.

He smiled, put her on the floor, and began to walk towards his clearing, with his dæmon trotting alongside him.

"I had the strangest dream while you were out" she said

Will made a non committal noise, intent on getting to his destination.

"It was about dancing girls and then I was flying and then I saved the world _and_ won the Olympics." She said.

"Really?" was the only reply

"Will. I'm mocking you, you silly ass, now pay attention so I can insult you properly!"

"Sorry." Will muttered, but Kirjava could tell by his hidden smile that he had known all along.

"Oh and by the way, there were these strange girls talking about you sitting on the bench just before you got here. Along with what's her name that Mary likes…the annoying one from next door. Cleared off when they saw you, I think."

Will had reached the clearing, not even realising the branches he had to push aside and the tricky root you had to sidestep. "What?" he demanded. "Jade" he muttered.

"Best stop talking to myself" he said, quite loudly, and gave a warning look to Kirjava which she knew was meant to keep her silent.

He reached the middle of the clearing, and emptied his brain of all thoughts, instead trying to reach Lyra's Oxford.

He tried for what felt like hours, but just kept coming back to the woman in the blue dress and a mental loop of Hayden's String Quartet.

Levelling his breathing, he stood up, and rummaged in his bag for some water. Kirjava was showing his agitation as she prowled around the space, her tail flicking back and fore. After gulping down a quick drink, he resumed his position, but was stopped from relaxing by a twig snapping and the leaves of one tree waving at him. Both he and Kirjava tensed and watched as out of the trees emerged a very devilished looking girl.

She swung her hair over her shoulder and shot Will an award winning smile, detangling herself from the tree with apparent difficulty. Will just stood and watched.

'What on earth is she doing here?' Was his only thought as the thin shape of Jade made her way towards him.

"Will Parry?" She asked, as though he had been the one intruding in on her. "William Parry! Well, it was hard to find you. The Botanic garden is a big place…" She trailed off and laughed nervously as he didn't answer her, just looked at her, his expression passive.

"Well , whether you'll talk to me or not, I've got water for you. And sandwiches… your Mary says… says…what was it… yes that 'you're not missing another dinner, so you'll have these sandwiches."

She smiled and sat down next to him.

"Really Will. You can't get away from Mary that easily. I know. I've lived next door to you for nearly five years now."

She was the kind of person who could have a conversation with herself, Will knew this fact very well. Yes he had been living next door to her for four years. Four long years. She used to sit on the fence and talk at him, then Mary would invite her and her mother round, so she would sit on the sofa in the living room and talk at him. Now here she was doing exactly what she'd been doing for the past four years.

He hadn't realised that she was still talking at him.

"...And so I said to her, you can't have him, because he's my Will, and my next door neighbour. See, I'm looking out for you Will." She smiled at him.

It was the first time he had looked at her since she'd sat down. He twisted his face into what he thought was a thankful smile and took the water bottle and sandwiches off her.

"Thanks" He mumbled, "you didn't have to come looking for me, y'know." It hadn't been a question, but she answered him non the less.

"I know, but I'm looking out for you, aint I?" She smiled as she saw him smiling, and reached out to stroke Kirjava. "I've always loved your cat…" Kirjava edged away from her as Will watched sullenly. She didn't know that Kirjava was a part of him, yet it still seemed rude to try and stroke her. Too personal. He shivered.

"As shy as ever" she chuckled, Will's sudden change in mood not phasing her; she was used to it by now. She smiled, and rose, holding out her had to him.

"Walk back with me?" She questioned innocently.

The boy looked past her, and into the sky, and noticed it was going dark. He'd been out far too long again. He didn't mean to, it just happened. Mary was worried he was becoming depressed, and his mother just wanted to spend more time with him. He stood, picked up his bag and let Kirjava jump inside it, zipping it so only her head poked out. He smiled at her and began to walk home.

Jade soon caught up with him, talking to herself all the way home.

Will just hoped that his dreams were as pleasant tonight as they were last night.

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Even though this isn't a big step in the plot, I quite liked writing this... I'll leave you to ponder Jade and Will while we get back to Lyra and Mr. Scott. I'm not sure about her... Tell me what you think! And do you want more of Will's side, or am I writing enough? Tell me in a lovely, lovely review :) :)

~Mandaius Meander~


	10. Discussions and Deliberations

Hello all! I'm getting quite good at this updating malarkey aren't I? lol I'm hoping this is long enough to keep your taste buds wetted, and to keep you interested. And btw the FanFiction document uploader seems to be messing around, so If the lineation isn't right, it's not me that's lost my ability to be coherent...If that existed in the first place :)

Before we start, I'd like to thank freakily obsessed Yassen fan, hanjuuluver, RiverofWind, who I believe I've all replied to...  
Mrs. Radcliffe 13 - soon, I promise, Anzer'ke -thanks, but not that awesome, I don't update soon enough! lol, Eternityfalls-thanks for the advice…I probably will when Will meets her again :) , StarsFellOutOfTheSky -thank you! I'm glad you like! And you'll just have to wait and see… I'm not giving the game away! lol  
You guys are awesome reviewers, and I'd also like to say thanks to my readers as well, hope all you guys enjoy this chappie!

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Discussions and deliberations 

Lyra's day had been slow.

That was an understatement.

After breakfast, she had returned back to her rooms to collect a few things to find a maid stationed outside her door.

"Didn't want to come into the dining hall, Miss, thought you'd want it here. it's a letter, Miss, a post arrived about a quarter of an hour ago. Said it was from Mr. Scott, Miss."

She curtsied and held out a silver platter with a letter and a letter opener on.

Lyra stared at the letter, and Pan nudged her in the neck to take it and open it. She did so and quickly replaced the letter opener.

"Thank you"

She replied, and the maid curtsied then scuttled away. No doubt to tell all the staff about the letter Lyra thought bitterly.

She pondered its contents as she quietly shut the door behind her. She sat at her vanity and slid the thick parchment out of the envelope.

Miss Silvertongue,

I do hope you feel much better by the time this letter is received, and would like to give you cause to write to the address on my last note. I was wondering if you have an afternoon on which we can take a stroll around the Botanic Gardens. With chaperone, of course. The date is yours to choose, my dear, and I will order my carriage to escort you there, if you so wish. Please reply to the address you already have, or if you dropped it to;

St. John's college,  
St. Giles Street,  
Oxford.

There is no need to include a room number, simply my name will be enough.

Yours truly,

David Scott.

Lyra had left that problem in her room under her pillow, but Kitty had become a bigger one throughout the day. Talking loudly to various people _about _Lyra, loud enough for her to hear. Or talking _to _Lyra loud enough for various people to hear. She was getting sick to the back teeth of it. When lessons finally finished, Lyra dashed up to her room to retrieve her alethiometer, making sure the letter was stashed somewhere safe before making her way down to Dame Hannah's rooms.

She knocked on the door and heard shuffling as the face of a small maid appeared in the crack. Her mouse daemon snuggled on her shoulder.

"Oh! Miss Lyra, I'll just get the Mistress…"

And with that she closed the door in Lyras face.

She sighed, running a hand down her face. The door was quickly thrown open by Dame Hannah, who invited her in for a strong cup of tea and a biscuit. This had become a custom, Lyra was sure, as the maid must realise that Lyra was always allowed in- she was here for a purpose, after all.

She sank into a chair by the fire as Catlin, the maid busied herself with the teapot, red faced. Dame Hannah sat down opposite her and smiled.

"Hello Lyra, tea?"

Their sessions always began like this. It was as though the Dame was testing her etiquette- it was never polite to refuse tea after dinner.

After the tea was served, and Catlin had been dismissed, Dame Hannah began to talk of more serious matters. She always liked to have tea on hand, and her room always smelt faintly of fresh tea leaves- "Crushed tea leaves never give the same aroma and flavour" she had told Lyra when she asked quite early on in their relationship.

Lyra began to relax in the winged leather chair, the smell of the tea calming her slightly. All that mattered was her lesson. Not Kitty. Not Mr. Scott and certainly not the rest of the gossiping girls in the school;. She had some kind of accord with Dame Hannah, and both women knew when the other had had enough.

The Dame's voice brought her out of her musings, "I trust you're feeling better then Lyra? Since last night?"

She spoke in a kind way, as one might when addressing a favourite niece.

"Yes, thank you, Dame Hannah" came Lyra's reply, and both smiled.

"Well then I trust you have enough strength to continue where we left off then?" She questioned Lyra in an amused manner as the younger woman placed her cup on the side table in a less than graceful manner and pulled the alethiometer out of its pouch. Pan was curled around her feet, his eyed like burning coals in the fire as he felt Lyra's agitation and excitement."

"Ready?" the Dame asked. At seeing Lyra's enthusiastic nod she continued, "Good, then lets begin"

The lesson was tiring, but Lyra enjoyed it more than her normal hours of History, Latin, Etiquette, Dancing, English and Mathematics. Dame Hannah pushed her, not letting her look up meanings unless absolutely necessary- the best way to learn in her opinion.

Finally, the lesson was over, and Dame Hannah bid Lyra goodnight. She was just about to leave when Pan nipped her ear gently, reminding her about the night before. She hung back.

Clearing her throat she began a somewhat delicate topic, "Dame Hannah, I was wondering if I might ask you something…" She trailed off her confidence wavering.

"Other than the question you've just asked?"

Dame Hannah smiled. She only showed her fondness of Lyra in these lessons- it was far too petty to have favourites in other lessons, not to mention unfair to the other girls. She noticed Lyra's unusually timid demeanour and motioned for her to sit back down in the chair she had just vacated. She watched as the younger woman perched on the edge of the chair.

"Well…" She began, unsure how to tell Dame Hannah about the occurrences of last night without her thinking she was mentally unsafe and sending her to Bedlam. "It's about the alethiometer…" Hannah motioned for her to continue.

"Last night I checked it and instead of telling me the answer, it seemed to become red hot and felt as if it were burning me, and Pan felt it too, even though he wasn't touching it and it felt like I'd been hit by lightening and I don't know what I did!" It came out in a rush, and she straightened in her chair, visibly relaxed, as though the weight of her worry over the alethiometer's reaction had lessened somewhat. She breathed deep, and waited for the female scholars reaction. When it did not come she opened her eyes and looked at the other woman. The shadows from the flames flicked across her face as her brow swept into a frown. She had a far off look and when her eyes focused on Lyra, she seemed hesitant to reply.

"I think, Lyra, that…" She looked into the fire, and Lyra knew better than to press her. "I believe that there are some things… some things that are not meant to be known. That _should not _be known." She looked at her young pupil. "May I ask what you asked the alethiometer last night?"

Lyra hesitated, unsure whether the question she asked was not fit for a lady to ask. But Dame Hannah knew her. Knew she was the 'wild girl'. As ashamed as she was, Lyra knew that without telling her she wouldn't know any answers herself. With a tinge of pink on her cheeks that was not due to the heat of the fire she replied, "I asked to know more about the…the mysterious young man at the ball." She looked up.

Dame Hannah looked surprised, "Mr Scott? Have you not listened to what your peers have been…_discussing_?" She questioned.

"No! Not him!" Lyra burst out, thinking of the letter. "The other one…Mr… His name escapes me, and he seems awfully fuzzy around the edges now I try to recall him."

She looked up at Dame Hannah again to see the scholar staring at her.

"This is very odd, indeed Lyra. Very odd. I presume I do not need to caution you about asking the alethiometer about this man again, and if you see him in future, I would _strongly_ advise you to stay away from him…" She trailed off as Lyra stared at her. "You may go now, Lyra, I have to see an irate parent about something or other." She smiled at Lyra to try and ease the tension, but Lyra saw the gleam in her eyes. Things weren't what they appeared, and against her better judgement she wanted to know what was happening.

Just as she was shutting the door, Dame Hannah's voice wafted after her, "Remeber Lyra, some things are not meant to be known" And with a snap the tension in the room was shut behinf the mahogony door.

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Closing the door to her room, Lyra sat at her vanity and stared into the mirror, not really seeing her reflection. She shook her head and, remembering the letter she had received, penned a reply to Mr. Scott, so he would get it that evening.

"Dear Mr. Scott" she wrote.

I was surprised to find another letter waiting for me this morning, and would like very much to take a turn around the Botanical Gardens with you. The days are slightly too warm for my liking…

She hadn't forgotten that ladies weren't supposed to like a warm summers day- although she loved noting more.

…Shall we say, this Friday, in the late afternoon? Around three o'clock? The flowers are nicer when it's not so warm, not too overpowering. Until then.

Yours,

Miss L. Silvertongue.

Lyra reread the letter twice and sighed. She had never been very adept at calligraphy, or letter writing for that matter, but it would do. It was short and to the point and that is what she liked out of a letter. No point writing about flowery nonsense if you didn't need to. She folded it and tried her best to use the sealing wax neatly, leaving a red blemish on the creamy white. Hurrying downstairs, she nearly tripped over her skirt, almost skidding to a halt in front of the porter.

"I'd like this delivered to Mr Scott at St. John's college please" She said politely, holding the letter out with the address penned neatly on the front. She smiled at the kindly old man, and with a reply of "Yes, certainly Miss" She turned and prepared herself for a dinner sitting next to Kitty.

But as she walked into the dining hall and was met by the chatter of hundereds of girls being served, she couldn't help thinking of Dame Hanna's closing remark

"Remember Lyra, some things are not meant to be known"

****

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I know it's not the longest chapter in the world, but It tells you quite a bit about Dame Hannah and Lyra's relationship…at least I hope it does :S I tried to show a different side of the characters that's hopefully quite close to what you think they'd be like with each other…it's how I imagine it any way. Things are going to start picking up now. She's replied to Mr. Scott, and don't worry, Will should be returning soonish… I'm not going to give too much away lol :P

Until next time… Adieu!

~Mandaius Meander~

p.s Review *hint hint*…. Ok that was a bad hint... or not really a hint at all but hey…


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